Olympic outrage

The mission of the International Olympic Committee is “to place sport at the service of humanity and thereby to promote peace.” Unfortunately, this Olympic year, the IOC has a long way to go before it can stand proudly with a gold medal for serving humanity. With the Beijing Summer Olympics approaching, world leaders and Olympic officials remain silent on reported human rights abuses in China.\nWhat’s the matter with China? A U.S. State Department report calls China an authoritarian nation that denies its citizens basic human rights and freedoms. It tortures prisoners with electric shocks, beatings and other abuses. It severely restricts and harasses journalists and foreign aid workers. China has forcibly removed residents from their homes in order to prepare for the Olympics. China is under global scrutiny for violently squashing protests in Tibet.\nBut apparently the consensus among world powers is that human rights take a backseat to economics. China has thrown its economic weight around to dissuade governments and corporate sponsors from criticizing the Games. A public relations executive explained, “(Corporations have) already invested a lot of money and resources and they wish the Games will just proceed smoothly.”\nPresident Bush said he looks forward to attending the Games. France’s foreign minister Bernard Kouchner explained that, although it is “very nice to talk about human rights,” there are economic decisions that must be made “at the expense of human rights,” especially when dealing with “countries as important as China.” And Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao argues that “the Games should not be politicized.”\nHowever, it’s the mission of the Olympics to politicize sports – a mission the IOC has failed. The Fundamental Principles of the IOC call on the Olympics to “create a way of life based on ... respect for universal fundamental ethical principles” and promote “a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity.” A primary goal of the Olympics is to “contribute to building a peaceful and better world” through sport, yet the IOC and participating nations stand nearly silent as violence and human rights abuses unfold in the Olympics host nation.\nIOC President Jacques Rogge said he doesn’t want to take action that “penalize(s) innocent athletes,” but what about the innocent citizens penalized by human rights violations? The Olympic mission demands that he take an interest in the people of China, too. Unlike Kouchner’s twisted view, there should never be decisions made at the expense of human rights. Turning a blind eye to problems in China for the sake of the temporary economic boosts grossly violates the spirit of sports and the Olympic mission.\nHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who urged President Bush to boycott the opening ceremonies, gets it right: “If freedom-loving people throughout the world do not speak out against China’s oppression in China and Tibet, we have lost all moral authority to speak on behalf of human rights anywhere in the world.”\nThe IOC and world leaders (particularly Bush) need to end their silence soon or risk an Olympics with nothing but tarnished gold.